FREE Case Evaluation

Voted the 2014 Best Criminal Defense Attorney in DC By Washington DC City Paper

Rated Perfect 10.0 by AVVO

Executive Board Member National Trial Lawyers Association

Better Business Bureau Accredited

Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Association

As Seen In...

FREE Case Evaluation

Maryland Students Lawyer

If you’re a student in Maryland, you’re faced with the day-to-day challenges of succeeding in your studies, maintaining a healthy social life, staying within the good graces of your family, earning money toward your education and living expenses through a part-time or even full-time job, and staying on the right side of the law. If you’re found guilty of a crime in Maryland, it could affect your ability to obtain financial aid in future semesters, or even your status as a student within the school in which you’re enrolled, depending on the severity of the crime and its resulting penalties. If you’ve been charged with a crime, it’s imperative that you seek the legal assistance of an experienced Maryland defense attorney as soon as possible. Doing so will give you the best possible chance of maintaining your innocence, receiving a favorable outcome in court and proceeding with your academic life as normal.

Student Crime Info

Students in the state of Maryland have a lot to look forward to. Fighting your criminal charges may help you to Call (301) 761-4842 to speak with an experienced attorney for a free consultation regarding your case.

Alcohol Crimes

According to Maryland Criminal Law Code § 10-114, it is illegal to possess or control any alcoholic beverage if you’re under the age of 21, unless such possession is conducted as a necessity of work duties during regular work hours (such as if you’re a bartender or server under the age of 21). This same code makes it illegal to consume an alcoholic beverage if you’re under the age of 21. The only other exception to this law is if you’ve been given the alcoholic beverage by an adult within your immediate family, and you’re consume the beverage in a private residence of said adult.

The penalty for underage alcohol possession is neither a misdemeanor nor a felony, but rather a citation given by a law enforcement officer at the time of the alleged crime. The monetary fine associated with this ticket may vary from one location to the next within Maryland.

If you’re at least 21 years of age but you host parties that may involve underage possession of alcohol, you should be aware of criminal codes § 10-116 and § 10-117, which pertain to “obtaining for underage consumption” and “furnishing for or allowing underage consumption,” respectively. § 10-116 makes it illegal to obtain or attempt to obtain an alcoholic beverage for the purpose of giving it to an individual you know to be under the age of 21.

Further, code § 10-117 makes it illegal to furnish an alcoholic beverage to another individual if the individual in question is under the age of 21. This same code makes it illegal to knowingly and willfully allow a person under the age of 21 to consume or possess an alcoholic beverage in a residence you own or rent, even if you didn’t furnish the beverage to the minor. The only exceptions are if you’re participating in a religious ceremony, or if the minor is a member of your immediate family.

The penalties for adults found in violation of § 10-116 and § 10-117 include a misdemeanor conviction, as well as a fine of up to $2,500.00 for first-time offenders and up to $5,000 for repeat offenders.

Assault

As many students are aware, a disagreement at a house party or bar can quickly escalate into a physical altercation, especially when alcohol is involved. Depending on the circumstances of the physical fight, this could lead to charges of either first degree or second degree assault.

According to Maryland criminal code § 3-202, assault in the first degree is defined as intentionally causing or attempting to cause serious physical injury to an individual. It also includes any assault that includes a firearm. The penalty for first degree assault is a felony conviction, as well as a prison term not to exceed 25 years.

Maryland criminal code § 3-203 prohibits any type of physical assault, and classifies this as assault in the second degree. If you’re found guilty of second degree assault, you’ll receive a misdemeanor conviction as well as a fine of up to $2,500.00 and a prison term of up to 10 years.

The penalties are more severe when second degree assault is committed against a law enforcement officer, or a probation or parole officer. Upon conviction, these charges result in a felony, as well as a fine of up to $5,000.00 and a prison term of up to 10 years.

Disorderly Conduct

Disorderly conduct and related crimes are covered by Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the Maryland criminal code. According to code § 10-201, the following can be considered as disorderly conduct:

Willfully and unlawfully obstructing the free passage of another individual in a public place

Willfully acting in a manner that is disorderly and disturbs the peace of the public

Willfully failing to obey a request of a law enforcement officer who is attempting to prevent the disturbance of the public

Entering the premise or land of another individual and willfully acting in a disorderly manner, or making an unreasonably loud noise

Making an unreasonably loud noise to disturb the peace in a public place or on the premises of another individual

According to state code § 10-201(d), the penalty for disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor as well as a fine of up to $500.00, and a jail sentence of up to 60 days.

Keeping a disorderly house is prohibited by state code § 10-202. According to this code, the penalty for keeping a disorderly house is a misdemeanor, as well as a jail sentence between 10 days and six months and a fine between $50.00 and $300.00.

Marijuana Possession

According to Maryland Criminal Law Code § 5-601, it is illegal to possess or administer a controlled dangerous substance, such as marijuana, without a prescription from a medical doctor. It is also illegal to obtain or attempt to obtain a controlled dangerous substance through fraud, misrepresentation, subterfuge, deceit, the use of a false name, or falsifying a prescription.

If you’re found guilty of possession or use of marijuana, you could face a jail sentence of up to one year as well as a fine of up to $1,000.00. If you can prove that you were in possession of the marijuana due to medical necessity, the penalty is a fine of up to $100.00.

If you’re found guilty of possession of another controlled dangerous substance, such as heroin or cocaine, you could face a misdemeanor conviction as well as up to four years in prison and a fine not to exceed $25,000.00.

Penalties for drug crimes can escalate with repeat offenses. Further, if you possess a large enough quantity of a dangerous controlled substance that the court deems you had intent to distribute, you could face felony charges, along with much heftier fines and longer incarceration terms.

A Maryland Defense Attorney can Help

If you’ve been charged with a crime as a student in Maryland your best course of action is to hire the a qualified, licensed Maryland criminal defense attorney. He or she will take your case seriously and examine every detail of your alleged offense, including gathering eyewitness testimony and utilizing every available legal resource to build a strong defense. This will give you the greatest possible chance of receiving the best possible outcome in court, allowing you to continue your studies with minimal interruption and avoid repercussions such as the loss of future financial aid.

Kush Arora in His Own Words

Below are several links to question-and-answer pages excerpted from an interview with Kush Arora in which he discusses student offenses in Maryland.

After months of investigation, my team was able to verify inconsistencies in the complainant’s story and behavior that ultimately convinced a senior prosecutor to dismiss all charges against my client.